5 · 40 words

Environment and energy

Where power comes from, what it leaves behind, and the living world it affects.

Most words about energy are built on 能(néng), energy, and 电(diàn), electricity: 太阳能(tàiyángnéng), 风能(fēngnéng), 核能(hénéng), 发电(fādiàn). Words about the living world are built on 生态(shēngtài), which covers both ecology and the natural environment as a whole. Climate policy speaks in long fixed terms — 可持续发展(kěchíxùfāzhǎn), 碳中和(tànzhōnghé) — that are best learnt whole, the way they appear in headlines.

The words

Verb (5)

排放(páifàng)to discharge; to emit; emissionsVerb5

新(xīn)规定(guīdìng)要求(yāoqiú)工厂(gōngchǎng)减少(jiǎnshǎo)废气(fèiqì)排放(páifàng)。New rules require factories to cut their emissions.

灭绝(mièjué)to become extinct; extinctionVerb5

恐龙(kǒnglóng)在(zài)很(hěn)久(jiǔ)以前(yǐqián)就(jiù)灭绝(mièjué)了(le)。Dinosaurs died out a very long time ago.

发电(fādiàn)to generate electricityVerb5

山(shān)上(shàng)那些(nàxiē)风车(fēngchē)是(shì)用(yòng)来(lái)发电(fādiàn)的(de)。Those wind turbines on the hill are there to generate electricity.

节能(jiénéng)to save energy; energy-savingVerb5

这(zhè)种(zhǒng)节能(jiénéng)灯(dēng)比(bǐ)普通(pǔtōng)的(de)灯(dēng)省(shěng)很(hěn)多(duō)电(diàn)。These energy-saving bulbs use much less electricity than ordinary ones.

植树(zhíshù)to plant treesVerb5

每(měi)年(nián)春天(chūntiān)，学校(xuéxiào)都(dōu)组织(zǔzhī)学生(xuésheng)去(qù)植树(zhíshù)。Every spring the school takes the pupils out to plant trees.

Written; in speech 种(zhòng)树(shù).

This list belongs to Nature, weather and the environment — nine lists and 361 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.